Learning to Drive

SO I was looking over my list of journaling prompts and came across Learning to Drive. Needless to say it brought back a lot of memories, or more feelings. Two times also came to mind, learning to drive a car and learning to drive the wave runners. I wasn't too excited to do either. I mostly was freaked out about wrecking and getting in trouble with Dad (which happened a few times, three to be exact). I remember being so excited to get to drive, have my licence, freedom and everything else we think is great with driving. I was sooo nervous to get behind the wheel and actually drive. I really didn't know what to do, but you just have to do it. Dad took me out and I wanted to cry, but didn't. I was so nervous. It turned out to be better then I thought, but not a glorious sense of relief. Then came driver's ed and student driving. I had a really cool instructor that I went out driving with, but I was so nervous I couldn't think. I remember one time waiting to turn and wanting to be really cautious, but then not wanting to make the instructor impatient. SO, I ended up pulling out too soon and when I should have waited, no accident, just kind of scary (we'd all probably try and go for it now, but at the time it seemed risky). Then came the Highway driving AND using cruise control. That freaked me out the worst. I didn't want to put my fate and speed in the cruise control. That is scary!!! I didn't want to do it, but had to. It was the scariest driving experience up to that point in my life. I kept my foot right over the brake in case I needed to get to the brake fast. That trip couldn't be over soon enough, but I made it (and decided I hated cruise control). Then the final day, you'd think by now I'd be comfortable but I tend to not be in my own skin) I was ready to get home and be done. I wanted to be the perfect student, I wanted to pass. It was the second to last turn I would have to make to get to the house and be done. I was turning right off of 30th on the Knudsen and hit the gas instead of the brake. Needless to say I scared the instructor and made him involuntarily yelp a little. I was mortified. I just gave a little oopps! Then I had to make a left turn onto Foutz, He reminded me to hit the brake and not the gas. We made it to the house safely and I couldn't get into the house fast enough. Surprisingly I passed and was glad to be done with the whole experience.

Learning to drive the wave runner. Now first of all you have to understand that I HATE lake water. It freaks me out. The dirty, stinky water, with the sun rays looking like they want to suck you down under, never letting you surface again. Not to mention that nasty fish, I gag and shudder just thinking of them. I didn't attempt to even get in the lake water (well successfully) until I was a teenager. It just isn't that appealing to me. But I wanted to have fun with my friends. Then one day Dad thought it would be fun to get some wave runners. I was content riding on the back with Brittani, that's about it. Then Dad said I needed to learn to drive the things, yikes. I really didn't want to but really didn't have a choice. SO Dad hopped on the back a gave me my first lesson. He showed me how to start it up and get going. I was fine doing 5mph, not really getting the thing out of the water. Well Dad was having none of that. He squeezed my hand and made me go full throttle. I was bawling, like a teen aged baby. I was scared to death, I had seen my Dad on these things and I didn't want to do 360's and get thrown off (into the icky lake water). I was relieved when the lesson was over, but kept on learning to deal with it. Before long you could get Brittani and I off the things (I still didn't want to do 360's, but jumping waves was another thing). Britt and I would take turns driving, I didn't trust anyone else. I don't know why we trusted each other, but it was a blast and I even somewhat got over getting thrown off into the stinky, icky lake water. It was worth the rush and a good thing, because my husband loves the lake. I still don't love the lake , but I tolerate it. Those are two experience about learning to drive and my hate of learning new things because I hate the sense of no, or losing, control.